The Alliance
The Alliance (aka Grand Alliance) is one of two major political factions of the mortal races in Azeroth, its counterpart being the Horde. The Alliance consists of powerful cultures and groups bound not by desperation or necessity, but by their deep commitments to abstract concepts like nobility and honor. The Alliance was once also known as the Alliance of Lordaeron when its leadership was centered in Lordaeron. However, the Alliance was forced to move the bulk of its forces to Kalimdor and to the southern Eastern Kingdoms continents of Khaz Modan and Azeroth after the plague of undeath ravaged the Kingdom of Lordaeron several years ago. Although the remaining living nations of Lordaeron are not as strong as they once were, they have pledged their loyalty to the Grand Alliance with the hopes of becoming strong once again. Over the course of the years new members and races have joined the Alliance furthering its united strength. Background Alliance of Lordaeron The modern Alliance is the successor to the Alliance of Lordaeron, which was created at the behest of King Terenas Menethil II of Lordaeron and Lord Anduin Lothar of the kingdom of Stormwind following the First War, five years after the reckoning. The human, dwarf, gnome, and high elf races allied together to fight off the orcish Horde. The Alliance was formed after the humans' defeat in the First war. King Terenas Menethil realized that the Horde was too powerful to be stopped alone and called all the seven human kingdoms to join forces, this is how the Alliance was created. Later the other races of Azeroth, the Ironforge and Wildhammer clan dwarves, The gnomes of Gnomeregan and the high elves of Quel'Thalas joined the Alliance as well. After a long bloody war, the Alliance managed to defeat the orcs, free the lands of Azeroth and send the orcs back to the Dark Portal. The result of this war was considered the Alliance's greatest victory. Aftermath of the Second Invasion Events of the Second Invasion led to an alliance with both the night elves and the Horde. The former became permanent, while the latter did not. The third war was the biggest crisis the Alliance had ever known, most of the human and high elf population of Azeroth was murdered by the scourge. With Arthas' betrayal the Kingdom of Lordaeron fell under the Scourge. Just has it seen as the end of humanity the remaining forces of Lordaeron Under the Command of Grand Marshel Garithos managed to retake Dalaran. backed by the Blood Elf's the Alliance Remnants managed to repel the Scourge in Silverpine Forest. At the same time Stormwind and Ironforge sent reinforcements to the Hillsbrad Foothills and repelled the Scourge in the Alterac Mountains. After that, Garithos decided to send troops to retake Lordaeron from the Scourge, from where he and the rest of his forces never came back. The forces of Stormwind and Ironforge did not sent their troops to help him. It is unknown why they refused to help him but it is suggested that they realized that such an act would be a suicide mission and therefor refused to send their own troops to the Plaguelands and offered shelter to the refugees of Lordaeron instead. During which time Jaina Proudmoore led other surviving humans of Lordaeron to Kalimdor, aligning herself on Kalimdor with the night elves and inviting them to join the Alliance. Joining forces with the Horde, Jainas' Forces and the night elves managed to defeat the Burning Legion's forces and save Azeroth. After that, Jaina reunited her new nation with Stormwind and the survivors of Lordaeron, and the night elves finally joined the Alliance. Following the Second Invasion, many of the surviving high elves re-branded themselves as blood elves and rejoined the Alliance shortly after the invasion, only to leave it again following an attempted purge by Grand Marshal Garithos. The true high elves remain loyal to the new Alliance, most notably the ones dwelling in Theramore under Lady Jaina Proudmoore and in the Hinterlands at Quel'Danil Lodge. More recently, high elves have grouped together in Northrend as the Silver Covenant. In the Burning Crusade A few years later, the draenei joined the Alliance. Stranded a world away from home, they are trying to establish a new base on Azeroth from the wreckage of the Exodar as well as gain the trust and cooperation of the Alliance. In Wrath of the Lich King Recognizing the threat of the Lich King after the Scourge Invasion of various major cities across Azeroth, the Alliance created new military command structures and a temporary partnership with the Horde in Northrend to drive back the undead forces with the ultimate goal of destroying the Lich King. In Cataclysm During the events of the Cataclysm, another race joined the ranks of the Alliance; the worgen of Gilneas. After the revelation that the Gilneans were fighting the Forsaken around and behind the Greymane Wall, unexpected aid from the night elves convinced Genn Greymane to join the Alliance. In Mists of Pandaria In Mists of Pandaria Aysa Cloudsinger joined alongside her Tushui Pandaren, after Garrosh Hellscream alongside Goblins and Blood elves destroyed Theramore Isle In Legion As the Burning Legion descended onto the world, Varian Wrynn has gone missing. In his absence, Anduin Wrynn has been made temporary King and leader of the Alliance. Anduin later sneaks to the Broken Shore to see where his father died and resolves to be a leader that can make his father proud and forge his own new path with the close counsel and support of Genn Greymane. Although great headway was being made against the Legion, the Alliance is split between by Malfurion and Tyrande dealing with the resurgent threat of the Horde in Kalimdor, Prophet Velen pressing the attack on Argus, the Council of the Three Hammers dealing with Magni's new strange state, and Anduin with Genn managing the final efforts in the Broken Isles with the help of Mekkatorque. In Battle for Azeroth Although the Legion and Sargeras has been dealt with, the Alliance has been put on the defensive due to a vicious campaign by the Horde in Kalimdor lead by Warchief Sylvanas and Varok Saurfang. They have torn through the desperate night elf forces from Ashenvale to Darkshore despite the might effort of Malfurion and a swarming army of wisps, ancients, and other allies of nature. The Horde advance has put them on the doorstep of the World Tree, Teldrassil, and its sack and burning seem inevitable. Although the Horde make no move to occupy the remains of the World Tree, they appear to be expecting the the planned counterattack by Anduin and Genn upon the ruins of Lordaeron. Although, the Alliance is victorious due to last minute aid by Jaina Proudmoore and the mechanical forces of Gelbin Mekkatorque, Sylvanas' flagrant use of the blight deals tremendous losses to the Alliance and they find much of Undercity abandoned and flooded with the horrid green mist. The Alliance leadership barely escape and wonder whether their victory was worth the cost. Organization The Alliance is not a uniform governmental body, but is a coalition of mutual military and economic aid. Housing the Alliance Assembly, Theramore was once considered the official home of the new Alliance, when Stormwind was bound under Onyxia's thrall under the guise of Katrana Prestor. The inability of Stormwind to act forced both Theramore and the night elves to step in, resulting in a growing gap of cooperation between the two continents. This, however, is no longer the case with King Varian's return and the death of Onyxia. Varian's direct aid to the night elves has won their trust, and Jaina's constant presence with him as an advisor (and to temper his edges) has firmly reunited Theramore and Stormwind once more. In the past, certain rules, customs, and regulations were a constant hindrance to mutual actions across the entire Alliance. This made cooperation sluggish, and considerably slowed the rate at which the Alliance was able to reclaim its former lands and glory. Despite the problems and intrigues within their leadership, all parts of the Alliance are steadfast in their desire to reclaim and rebuild, and all members share a distrust of the Horde. Approximately 800,000 souls belong to the allied races spanning two continents (based on membership numbers of the Church of Light).7 The Alliance is a great and peaceful body overall, their might being legendary, but their desire for peace, even stronger. Above all, where Jaina Proudmoore and Tyrande Whisperwind are good at coordinating their efforts on Kalimdor, Lady Katrana Prestor of Stormwind was doing a fine job of undoing the Alliance in the Eastern Kingdoms,8 however she has been slain in lore and King Varian Wrynn has now taken his rightful place as king.9 Even now, as always, humans are the glue that hold the Alliance together, being the most numerous and diplomatic of the member races. The armies of Stormwind are stationed throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, trying to retake regions such as Duskwood, Westfall, and The Redridge mountains. The armies of Ironforge are mainly stationed in Khaz Modan along with their Gnome allies, and the night elven armies are mainly defending northern Kalimdor from Horde's deforestation of the Ashenvale. The remaining draenei forces are still trying to secure their new home on Azuremyst Isle, and are also stationed in Outland. The recently brought in Gilnean armies are defending themselves from the endless onslaught of the Forsaken. Strengths Technology Technologically speaking, the Alliance is strong, with gnomish and dwarven inventions. Heavily armored vehicles with massive guns often help take well-defended structures, or even serve to simply destroy an enemy's morale. The appearance of three or four armored vehicles can often break an enemy's morale without ever firing a shot. However, they are well armed in case they do need to fire. All too frequently, war is the primary driver of technological advancements. The Ironforge dwarves spearheaded this trend, developing gunpowder and firearms as a way to achieve an edge against their foes in combat. Flying machines, originally just curiosities or at best scouting tools, are now being outfitted with flak cannons and bombs. Who knows where these advancements will lead? Technology is the system by which an entire society provides for the wants and needs of its population. Thus, the dwarves of Ironforge are said to be more technologically advanced than the tauren of Mulgore, who are themselves far more advanced than, say, kobolds or troggs.10 The Alliance views technology as an extension of a new way of thinking. Humans view technology as a powerful tool, as gnomes and dwarves invent new weapons, devices, and vehicles of war that the humans can benefit from. Dwarves and gnomes are the true masters of steam and brass; for them, forge and artifice has always been a way of life. The ability to craft magnificent weapons of destruction appeals to the dwarven sense of war, and firearms have become a respected aspect of their culture. Dwarven riflemen are feared, and their steam tank crews are also given tremendous respect for their skill in guiding their magnificent weapons of war. It is clear to all of the Alliance races that the battlefields are changing thanks to technology. Firearms are a tremendous equalizer, and a trained sniper can be as deadly to a knight as a dragon's breath. The machines of war provide protection and weapons that level the field even against the mightiest of monsters. That the Alliance is aware of this bodes well for their future.11 Also, with the inclusion of the draenei into the Alliance, the advanced technology of the draenei is now available. Tactical mastery Strategy in combat is the first step toward winning, and the Alliance uses to its fullest. They take advantage of their typical numerical advantage, to overwhelm opposition with shield and sword. They posses great Arcane spell casters which can be seen taking out many troops single-handedly from behind the front line. They have some great shock infantry with the dwarves and draenei, who prove very resilient on the battlefield. The Alliance is also known for its heavy cavalry where mounted human knights and paladins have more than once broken through ranks of Orcs, demons and undead. These mounted warriors have long symbolized the strength of the Alliance armies. Typically they will utilize flanking tactics, night elven and high elven archery, combined with superior technology and maneuvers to turn battles in their favor allowing heavier troops like human knights and dwarven riflemen to finish their enemies off with the blade and shot. The scouts and rogues of organizations within the Alliance such as SI:7 are used to gather intelligence on the enemy forces and can even be used in sabotage tactics behind enemy lines. Their commanders are very smart, studying the art of war from a young age, and are able and adept commanders who will utilize their armies to the fullest, on the battlefield. Holy magic Most Alliance races are well-versed in the ways of the Holy Light, making their paladins and priests formidable opponents. The power of the holy light is also advantageous against the Forsaken as well as other forms of undead due to their extreme weakness against the power with spells such as Exorcism.12 While the Third War witnessed the deaths of many paladins at the hands of the Scourge, the arrival of the draenei on Azeroth provided a new force of Light-wielding warriors for the Alliance. Unified The Alliance has strong unity between its races since its core members have been allied together since the beginning, excluding the night elves and the draenei. The humans, dwarves, high elves, and gnomes have been allies since the Second War and are often tied together. The Alliance has also never truly fallen apart, although there is often disagreements between the Alliance on Kalimdor, led by Jaina Proudmoore and Tyrande Whisperwind, and those traditionally based out of the Eastern Kingdoms, now led by King Varian Wrynn. However those disagreements are little compare to the conflicts between the Western Horde and the Forsaken. Tradition The Alliance represents older bonds of brotherhood than the Horde, especially between the humans, dwarves, high elves, and gnomes. And while the draenei are new to Azeroth, the other races retain ancient holdings. This stands in stark contrast to the Horde, all of whom, with the exception of the Blood Elves, have undergone significant migrations in the past decade. This gives the Alliance more established infrastructure and generally more territorial control, if not a higher level of dedication — Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff, and the Forsaken squatting in Lordaeron's sewers and ruins, stand in stark contrast to the strong walls of Stormwind and Ironforge. Weaknesses Although the Alliance has built an impressive army in the past years, finding strength in its diversity and numbers, weak points still exist that the Alliance's enemies can take advantage of when fighting. For example, some lackluster commanders exist within the ranks. Though through this they still maintain a very impressive army.13 Pride The Alliance is proud of itself. Their people are sophisticated and learned, and they excel in the intellectual pursuits such as arcane magic and engineering. Even after three bloody wars, they still view themselves as overall smarter than the Horde, and believe that greater brain power wins out over primal force. This is even after they fought alongside the Horde in the Third War and saw how they had changed. They underestimate the Horde, especially the new Horde under Thrall, and could easily be guilty of underestimating their enemies' abilities.13 Arcane magic Though their powerful command of the arcane is a point of strength in the Alliance's arsenal, it also shows a weakness. The magi are weak and easy to kill, if an enemy can break through their protections.13 The benefits of these spellslingers in combat are very rich, causing destruction from a distance unchecked by the enemy. Physical strength The front lines of the Alliance's armies are always in danger against the physically stronger Horde, especially the orcs and tauren. Draenei are the strongest Alliance race, and the arrival of the worgen in Cataclysm has definitely added more bulk to the alliance. Territory Though the Alliance has a vast amount of territory, its distribution is almost one sided, most of the Alliance territory is in the Eastern Kingdoms. The Alliance presence in Kalimdor is weak, confined mainly to Teldrassil, the islands of Azuremyst and Bloodmyst, and Darkshore (the only mainland Alliance territory in Kalimdor). Though they have also made a strong establishment in Dustmallow Marsh on Theramore Isle. Setbacks The Alliance forces have endured a series of setbacks against the Scourge, bearing the brunt of the Scourge's invasion. Only after Arthas's death did the tide start to turn; even so, the damage is felt to this day. Inventory Warcraft * Worker * Peasant * Militia * Footman * Swordsman * Blood Elf Engineer * Demolition Squad * Spell Breaker * Paladin * Mountain King Ranged * Elven Archer * Elven Ranger * Dwarven Riflemen * Priest * Sorceress * Mage * Blood Mage * Archmage * Chaplain * Hydromancer Cavalry * Knight * Paladin Artillery * Catapult * Ballista * Ironforge Mortar Team Vehicles * Siege Engine Air * Gryphon Rider * Dragonhawk Rider * Gnomish Flying Machine * Dwarven Gyrocopter Sea * Oil Tanker * Transport * Frigate * Elven Destroyer * Battleship * Gnomish Submarine World of Warcraft Stormwind Human * Warrior * Rogue * Hunter * Mage * Paladin * Warlock * Priest * Death knight Ironforge Dwarf * Warrior * Rogue * Hunter * Mage * Warlock * Priest * Paladin * Shaman * Death Knight Darnassus Night elf * Warrior * Rogue * Hunter * Mage * Priest * Druid * Death Knight Gnomeregan Exiles Gnome * Warrior * Rogue * Hunter * Mage * Warlock * Priest * Death Knight Exodar Draenei * Warrior * Priest * Mage * Hunter * Paladin * Shaman * Death Knight * Monk Gilneas Worgen * Druid * Mage * Warlock * Priest * Rogue * Warrior * Hunter * Death Knight Tushui Pandaren * Warrior * Priest * Mage * Hunter * Rogue * Shaman * Monk Gallery